Pouncival and the Stray
by Rina2
Summary: How far will Pouncival go to impress Bombalurina?


Pouncival and the Stray  
  
By Rina  
  
Pouncival sighed, reminiscing over his last encounter with Bombalurina. Ever since she'd first come to the Junkyard, he'd been devising elaborate plans to get her to be his mate. But since he knew he'd never measure up to such a queen's standards, especially since the Rum Tum Tugger seemed to have the same ideas as his, he never tried any of them.  
  
He knew the front he put up with the other Jellicles wasn't exactly mature, but he felt that Bombalurina could see him for who he really was, if only they could spend some (or a lot of) time together.  
  
But to get her to do that, he had to give her a glimpse of that tom he really was, make her want to see more.  
  
And what better way to do that than to impress her with a heroic deed and let the real, tomly Pouncival shine through?  
  
But how?  
  
Scanning the Junkyard, his eye fell upon a stray making faces at a disgruntled Alonzo...  
  
^-^O~  
  
"WHAT?" the stray yelled.  
  
"I said, come with me," Pouncival repeated, feeling his face redden under his fur. Maybe this wasn't the best route to a heroic deed...  
  
"Why?!"  
  
"Uh... because you were disturbing one of our most valued guards," Pouncival used as many adjectives as possible.  
  
"As far as I know, I'm the one who was being disturbed."  
  
"What do you mean?" Pouncival somehow sensed the stray's answer would lead him even further off the path he'd envisioned to heroism, but he didn't know what else to do.  
  
"He was making faces at me," the stray informed him.  
  
Pouncival gaped at Alonzo, who muttered, "I was bored," before looking pointedly in another direction.  
  
Pouncival smacked a paw to his head. "Sorry... just go," he was about to tell the stray- until a voice from behind him stopped him short.  
  
"What's going on here?" Munkustrap asked.  
  
Pouncival groaned inwardly. This wasn't his dream, it was his nightmare! "Um... it's nothing. This stray was just about to leave."  
  
"My pleasure!" The stray turned to prove her statement. Munkustrap had other plans. "Wait a second!" he told her sharply. "Are you sure there's no problem here?"  
  
The stray rolled her eyes in Pouncival's direction. "I was sure, he wasn't."  
  
"Well...alright. We're sorry for the inconvenience... you can go."  
  
"Thanks," the stray said. "But first I have to do something."  
  
Turning to the incredulous Alonzo, the stray made one last raspberry at him before turning and running down a side street, whose shadows soon cloaked her from the three toms' views.  
  
Munkustrap turned to Pouncival. "What was that all about?"  
  
Pouncival felt his ears redden, the stupidity of his plan suddenly flashing magnificently and unmercifully before him in all its splendor. "She was making faces at Alonzo and I... I thought it was distracting him from guarding the Junkyard." He chose to exclude exactly why he'd cared enough to take matters into his own paws.  
  
Munkustrap's usually stony expression softened. "Were you doing it for Bombalurina?" he asked kindly. It was hard, even for a tom so caught up in the responsibilities of the Jellicle tribe and also so caught up in a certain member of the Jellicle tribe, not to notice Pouncival's open devotion- and open mouth- that he had whenever he was around Bombalurina.  
  
Pouncival gawked at Munkustrap. How did he know? It didn't matter anymore. Everything that had happened was the exact opposite of what was supposed to have happened; he guessed he should start getting used to it. "Well, it seems like you already know the answer to that," he said sullenly.  
  
Munkustrap sighed. "Maybe you should try talking to her instead of just staring at her. Maybe if she knew you possessed the powers of coherent speech- that can score big points with queens, you know." He smiled at Pouncival.  
  
Pouncival sighed, too- for a different reason than Munkustrap's. "Maybe it's better that she doesn't know. I'd probably say something stupid anyway. How does that saying go? `Better to be thought a fool than-' "  
  
"Alright, alright, I see your point. But there's also another saying that you should think about- `Better to try than-' Oh, I can't remember all of it. But you get the jist, don't you? Oh yes. This one just about sums it up: `It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all!"  
  
Pouncival rolled his eyes. Well, Munkustrap was obviously trying, he had to give him that. "Thanks, Munkustrap. But I just don't know- maybe I should think about it some more."  
  
"You do that," advised Munkustrap. "Well... I'd better go... I was uh... let's say in the middle of something...with...uh...Demeter."  
  
This, more than Munkustrap's more conscious attempts to cheer him up, made Pouncival smile- the stoic Munkustrap trying to explain being interrupted from a makeout session with his mate.  
  
"You do that," said Pouncival slyly, giving Munkustrap a stage wink.  
  
Before Munkustrap could reply, Pouncival beat a hasty retreat- both to escape Munkustrap and to reflect on the advice he'd been given. 


End file.
